JUST DESERTS
Just deserts (noun): The punishment one deserves.
A woman wakes up bound inside the trunk of a car.
Through a tiny slit in the backseat, she catches fleeting glimpses of her captors. When the trunk opens, she sees the outside world—but only in fragments.
She knows she is going to die.
But as the pieces of this twisted mystery begin to come together inside the claustrophobic space, one question becomes impossible to ignore:
Does she actually deserve what is coming to her?
WE'RE NEARLY HALFWAY THERE
Thanks to the incredible support we've already received, we have raised $2,350 toward our $5,000 goal.
We're just $150 away from reaching the halfway mark.
Now we need your help to raise the remaining $2,650 and bring Just Deserts to life.
We shoot August 8–9 , and our goal is to complete the film in time to submit for consideration before the August 31 Sundance submission deadline .
The timeline is tight. Every contribution helps us get closer to the finish line.
PUSHING THE BOUNDARIES OF CINEMA
Just Deserts is a dialogue-free short thriller shot entirely inside a car trunk.
No dialogue. No traditional exposition.
Instead, the story unfolds through visual storytelling and sound design: the low hum of the car, gravel crunching beneath approaching footsteps, birds chirping in the distance—and the horrifying contrast of violence unfolding under blindingly bright sunlight.
The audience is trapped inside the mystery with our protagonist.
This is a female-led thriller where neither woman is a clear hero or villain. We want to explore how quickly perception can shift—and how staying inside that uncomfortable ambiguity can be more disturbing than having all the answers.
MEET THE DIRECTOR & THE TEAM
Just Deserts is written and directed by Laura Fenney , an independent filmmaker who believes in making ambitious films with limited resources, a lot of determination, and a willingness to take creative risks.
This is a crew built from bathroom flyers, Reddit posts, word of mouth, and pure grit.
The exact same core team behind Delivery Driver —a short film that swept the New Haven 48 Hour Film Project and competed internationally at Filmapalooza in Lisbon in 2026—is coming back together for this project.
Delivery Driver also made the Top 25 list out of 123 global winners , as selected by the co-chair of the festival review panel.
Now, we are reuniting with our incredible lead cast— Toni Belafonte and Sean Leser —and introducing the talented Indigo Phillips to make something we believe has never been done before.
From finding a rare abandoned 1988 Gran Fury Plymouth buried in vines to assembling a dedicated cast and crew through word of mouth, Reddit, and sheer persistence, Laura and the team have built this production from the ground up.
Just Deserts is the next step in that journey: a contained, dialogue-free thriller designed to prove that a compelling story doesn't need a massive budget.
It needs a bold idea, a committed team, and the determination to make it happen.
This film is the result of a group of people who refused to wait for permission to make something ambitious.
THE CAR IS READY. NOW WE NEED THE RESOURCES.
The 1988 Gran Fury Plymouth , complete with its leather interior, has been secured.
Getting it wasn't exactly easy. Laura literally waded through vines to track it down with the help of Howie, an 84-year-old local dealer and true legend.
Now the car is ready.
The shoot is scheduled for August 8–9 , and the production has unique needs.
Filming an entire thriller inside a car trunk requires specialized equipment, careful lighting, creative camera work, and a dedicated cast and crew. Your contribution will help us pay our cast and crew, secure equipment, and cover the specialized costs of bringing this ambitious short film to life.
Abandoned classic cars don't just grow on trees.
Sometimes, they grow in vines.
WHY WE NEED YOUR HELP NOW
The biggest pieces are already coming together.
The car has been secured.
The cast is coming together.
The crew is ready.
The shoot dates are set.
Now we need the resources to make the film happen.
With the August 8–9 shoot approaching and the August 31 submission deadline ahead, every contribution now directly helps us get closer to production.
Whether you donate $5, $25, $100, or more—or simply share this campaign with someone who loves independent film—your support can help bring Just Deserts to the screen.
WHERE YOUR DONATION GOES
Our $5,000 goal will help cover the essential costs of production, including:
CAST & CREW
Supporting the talented people giving their time, skill, and energy to this film.
CAMERA & PRODUCTION EQUIPMENT
Specialized equipment needed to capture a thriller filmed almost entirely inside a confined vehicle.
LIGHTING & SOUND
Creating the visual atmosphere and detailed soundscape that will carry the story without dialogue.
TRANSPORTATION & LOGISTICS
Moving people, equipment, and production materials to and from the shoot.
PRODUCTION DESIGN & SPECIALIZED NEEDS
The practical elements required to transform a real classic car into the claustrophobic world of the film.
POST-PRODUCTION
Editing, sound design, color, and the final finishing work needed to complete the film and prepare it for submission.
Every dollar helps us solve a real production need and move the film closer to completion.
BECOME PART OF JUST DESERTS
Every contribution helps bring the film closer to the screen.
To thank you for helping make Just Deserts possible, we've created several levels of support. Each tier is inspired by the world of the film.
🩸 $5 — THE FIRST WITNESS
You saw something.
Receive a Production Benefactor credit shoutout and a handwritten thank-you card from our colorful director.
🔦 $15 — THE OBSERVER
You looked closer.
Receive everything from The First Witness , plus a special digital Behind-the-Scenes Thank You featuring exclusive production photos and updates from the shoot.
🚗 $25 — THE GETAWAY DRIVER
You helped us get there.
Receive everything from the previous tiers, plus an invitation to the local screening and one complimentary drink —wine, beer, or a nonalcoholic beverage.
🔪 $50 — THE ACCOMPLICE
You knew something was coming.
Receive everything from the previous tiers, plus a signed digital production still from Just Deserts and a special Accomplice credit in the film's supporter acknowledgments.
🗝️ $100 — THE CONFIDANT
You know the truth—but you're keeping it to yourself.
Receive everything from the previous tiers, plus a personalized video thank-you message from the director and an exclusive digital production lookbook featuring behind-the-scenes images and material from the making of the film.
🩸 $250 — THE INSIDER
You were there before anyone else knew what was happening.
Receive everything from the previous tiers, plus an Executive Supporter credit and a private online behind-the-scenes conversation with the filmmakers about the making of Just Deserts .
🖤 $500 — THE CO-CONSPIRATOR
You helped make the whole thing possible.
Receive everything from the previous tiers, plus a special Associate Producer-level supporter credit and a personalized thank-you from the cast and crew.
🕯️ $1,000+ — THE FINAL JUDGMENT
You believed in the film before the audience ever saw it.
Receive everything from the previous tiers, plus a Special Thanks credit and a private conversation with the filmmakers about the film, its production, and the story behind Just Deserts .
EVERY DONATION MATTERS
You don't need to donate hundreds of dollars to make a difference.
$5 helps.
$25 helps.
$100 helps.
Sharing this campaign helps.
Every contribution brings us closer to our $5,000 goal , our August 8–9 shoot, and completing the film in time to submit for consideration before the August 31 deadline.
HELP US REACH THE FINISH LINE
We're only $150 away from reaching the halfway mark.
With your help, we can reach $5,000, shoot this film on August 8–9, and complete Just Deserts in time to submit for consideration before the August 31 deadline.
If you believe in ambitious independent filmmaking, strange stories, and movies that leave you questioning who you were actually rooting for—
please consider donating and sharing this campaign.
Every contribution helps bring Just Deserts one step closer to the screen.
$5 gets us closer.
$25 gets us closer.
$100 gets us closer.
Sharing this campaign gets us closer.
If you can help, now is the time.
SUPPORT THE FILM
PITCH DECK:
https://canva.link/1jcza7b75mmfmn6
IMDb:
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt43663337
DIRECTOR WEBSITE:
https://www.laurafenney.com/
SPECIAL THANK YOU TO THE PRIVATE DONORS WHO HAVE ALREADY HELPED US REACH $2,350.
Every contribution, every share, and every person who helps spread the word brings Just Deserts closer to becoming a finished film.
Thank you for helping us make something strange, ambitious, and entirely our own.
